Band proves music mixes well with responsibility

Thursday

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 28, 2008 at 7:32 AM

As Daniel Striped Tiger prepares for a European tour, band members have more to worry about than simply coordinating practices and booking flights.

As Daniel Striped Tiger prepares for a European tour, band members have more to worry about than simply coordinating practices and booking flights; these guys are working double time to free up their spring break — a week that, for four seniors in college, is typically spent cramming in all that’s left to be done before graduation.

“Too often there is this misconception that pursuing music, especially punk or hardcore music, means that you have to quit everything else,” said John Bogan, 21, of Wenham, vocalist and guitarist for Daniel Striped Tiger.

The fact is, “You don’t have to drop out to be a rock star,” said Sean Yeaton, 22, of Beverly, guitarist for the band. “It’s really important that people know that creating music doesn’t have to be a phase or a distraction,” he said.

While Bogan attends Suffolk for graphic design, and Yeaton studies English and Lingustics at Northeastern, the other two members of Daniel Striped Tiger are just as busy as graduation nears. Jason St. Claire, 22, a resident of Danvers and student at Suffolk, is pursuing his degree in psychology while Daniel Madden, 22, attends the New England Institute of Art for audio engineering.

Daniel Striped Tiger attributes their ability to pursue music school and work to one thing — the “DIY” attitude, otherwise known as the “Do It Yourself” attitude, a philosophy tied to punk ideology that urges self-reliance, work ethic and personal drive. This attitude has fueled these young men from as far back as 2003, said St. Claire.

“You can do this!” said Bogan to a hypothetical crowd of young aspiring musicians. A lot of people will dismiss the urge to be creative or to pursue music for something that has more of a guarantee for success, but they shouldn’t, he said.

Though Bogan never said pursuing a dream is easy.

Bands are not as conveniently formed or maintained the way sports teams or organized clubs like the Boy Scouts are, said St. Claire. “They all have some sort of infrastructure. This is different. You have to carve your own path.”

Forget paths — these young men are paving roads in and out of the local punk and hardcore scene.

The band is “a vehicle to communicate and travel,” said St. Claire.

On March 15 Daniel Striped Tiger will kick off their European tour in Freiburg, Germany. Accompanying them will be a Somerville band, Sinaloa. The stint will run for 10 days with back to back shows ranging from venues such as hotels, houses and squats.

“We are extremely excited for this,” said St. Claire.

The tour, which also coincides with a new release, is a major milestone for Daniel Striped Tiger. It’s kind of a way of giving back, said Bogan, who can remember how inspiring it was to watch other young musicians when he was just starting out. In many ways, the band wants to return the favor, he said.

Daniel Striped Tiger gets more out of their band than satisfaction with their music.

“It’s like a release for us to play, and we hope it’s the same for the people who listen,” said Bogan. Their music just pours out of them.

The philosophy of Daniel Striped Tiger is rooted somewhat in punk ideology. Simply put, “What you say has merit and is worth standing behind,” explained Yeaton.

The music is an exclamation of self and personal experience and characteristically features fast, loud and exciting music, said Bogan.

“It is often misconstrued as angry or aggressive, but it’s not,” said St. Claire. “It is complete honesty.”